Check the Kind of Plastics You Use
Some plastics are made with chemicals called phthalates [THAL ates] or BPA which means bisphenol A [BIS fee nall]. These chemicals can leach from (come out of) everyday plastic products like toys, bottles, containers, and personal care products. Scientists and doctors are learning about these chemicals and the health effects they may have especially on children. You can use the following guide to choose safer plastics and decrease exposures.
Check the symbol on the bottom of the plastic items before you buy:
Choose safer plastics:1
Plastics to avoid:2,3
1. Luz Claudio and Reeve Chace. Quick Guide to Plastics. Staying Healthy in a Changing Environment #3. Mount Sinai Community Health Bulletin. June 2006. 2. Code #6: Styrene, a potentially toxic chemical, may be released from containers made from polystyrene foam (Styrofoam and related brands) when they are used to heat or store foods or liquids at temperatures exceeding 80°C (176°F). Code #7 covers "other" plastics, which includes polycarbonate. Therefore not all code #7 plastic bottles contain polycarbonate and leach BPA. Also, BPA can be given off from other products.
Disclaimer: Based upon interpretation of the current literature, the PEHSU program is providing this guidance for persons who wish to take a precautionary approach to personal decisions, and is not meant to substitute for personal medical consultation with your health care provider.
How to Avoid Phthalates and BPA:
Do not microwave food/beverages in plastic Use safe alternatives such as glass or Do not microwave or heat plastic cling wraps polyethylene plastic (symbol #1) Do not place plastics in the dishwasher Avoid canned foods when possible (BPA may If using hard polycarbonate plastics (water be used in can linings) bottles/baby bottles/sippy cups), do not use for Look for labels on products that say “phthalate- warm/hot liquids free” or “BPA-free”
What are Phthalates and BPA?
Phthalates are man-made chemicals used in many different products. These chemicals are put in some toys and bottles to make plastics flexible. They are also used in cosmetics and other personal care products like some lotions and shampoos
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make a strong plastic called polycarbonate that is used in many things like drinking bottles. BPA is also used on the inside of many metal food cans to keep the cans from rusting.
How can my family be exposed to Phthalates and BPA?
Adults and children may be exposed to phthalates and BPA in the environment and at home. Both phthalates and BPA can leach out of plastics when they are heated and the chemicals get into the food or drinks in the plastic containers. Scientists are still learning if the amount that comes out is dangerous. The chemicals can be found in the following products:
Phthalates Bisphenol A (BPA)
Food storage containers Metal cans of food and infant formula Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Hard-plastic baby bottles tubing/products (such as water pipes) Sippy cups Flexible plastics, plastic bottles Plastic bottles
What are the health effects of Phthalates and BPA?
Many doctors and scientists are concerned about phthalates and BPA because they can act in ways similar to hormones naturally found in our body. Hormones help control how our body works. Most of the health information we know about these chemicals comes from animal studies.
In studies using rats, phthalates cause problems with male reproductive organs. In children, scientists have found an association between phthalates and changes in reproductive hormones and increased allergies, runny nose, and eczema. In adults, phthalates are associated with changes in sperm quality.
Bisphenol A may cause changes in cells in breasts, the uterus, and the prostate which can increase risk of cancers. In addition, BPA has been associated with increases in developmental disorders of the brain and nervous system in animals. These developmental disorders in animals are like problems such as ADHD (attention deficit hyper-reactivity disorder) in humans.
Find your local Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at www.aoec.org/PEHSU.htm or call 1-888-347-2632 to get more information.
Other Resources
National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm CDC National Report on Human Exposures http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
Acknowledgment: S. Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH, C. Karr, MD, PhD, Northwest PEHSU. M. Galvez, MD, MPH, P.E. Sheffield, MD, Mount Sinai PEHSU. R. Geller, MD, Southeast PEHSU. M. Sandel, MD, MPH, R. Goldman, MD, MPH, New England PEHSU. S. Buchanan, MD, MPH , The Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health. I. Buka, FRCPC Misericordia & Stollery Children’s Hospital, Canada. L. Gordon, MPH, Fellow – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. M. Miller, MD, MPH, University of California – San Francisco PEHSU. J. Paulson, MD, Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and Environment.
June 2008